What's So Good About Myrrh? Mixtape

What's so good about myrrh? Absolutely nothing! But that didn't stop some supposed wise man grabbing the first spice from the rack and heading out to the baby shower of the lifetime. If he was so wise then he would have known that the greatest gift he could have given was the gift of music... in particular, a Mongo's mixtape...

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01 Damian Marley & Nas - As We Enter [buy]
02 Destiny's Child - Bills Bills Bills (Harmonimix Remix) [buy]
03 KiD CuDi - Cudderisback (Feat. Vampire Weekend) [free download]
04 Solange - Stillness Is The Move (Dirty Projectors Cover) [free download]
05 James Blake - Limit To Your Love (Feist Cover) [radioshow]
06 Anti-Pop Consortium - Volcano (Four Tet Remix) [buy]
07 Flying Lotus - I Feel Like Dying [free download]
08 Laneous and the Family Yah vs Dubmarine - E.V.O.L.V.E. [laneous dubmarine]
09 The Maccabees - Empty Vessels (Feat. Roots Manuva) [buy]
10 Deadboy - U Cheated [buy]
11 Devlin - London City (radio edit) [youtube]
12 Efterklang - Modern Drift [buy]
13 El Michels Affair - Shimmy Shimmy Ya [buy]
14 J.Period & K'NAAN - Don't Think Twice (Messengers Remix) [free download]
15 Gil Scott-Heron - New York Is Killing Me [buy]
16 Benga Coki - Night (Cloak and Dagger remix) [free download]
17 Jose James - Save Your Love For Me [buy]
18 Reflection Eternal ft Jay Electronica, J Cole and Mos Def – Just Begun [free download]
19 Pariah - Detroit Falls [free download]

It's been 6 months since my last confession post mainly due to laziness, indecision and a severe obsession with Grizzly Bear that stopped me listening to any music unless it involved avant-garde folk-pop sensibilities. Anyhow I brought myself back to the real world and put together my first collection for 2010.

I should have called it something like "Anything you can do I can do better..." (as opposed to choosing a title that referenced the confused state I was in while performing my role in a childhood nativity scene) because there is an definite trend towards quality remixes, covers and collaborations here. 

Indie meets hip hop as Kid Cudi tackles Vampire Weekend while Roots Manuva shines on "Empty Vessels" alongside The Maccabess, giving an incredibly heart-felt performance reminiscent of his pairing with The Cinematic Orchestra. While elsewhere K'naan and DJ Premier pay their tributes to the influence of Bob Dylan on "Don't Think Twice" and Beyonce's sister Solange plays up to her indie darling status with a smooth take on the Dirty Projectors. First up though is the strong opening pair of Nas and Damian Marley who head out to bat with a bubbling slice of party stylee that really does bring the best out of each player involved.

On the remix front I couldn't go past Four Tet's master touch-up on Anti-Pop's "Volcano" which still rocks my world months after it was unleashed, Flying Lotus provides a haunting re-rub of Lil' Wayne while Cloak and Dagger prove that all is not as it seems with a jazzified take on dubstep's first global anthem "Night". 

My two favourite Brisbane bands as we move into 2010, Laneous and the Family Yah along with the mighty Dubmarine, combine forces on the bass-driven jam E.V.O.L.V.E.D. in anticipation for their joint show at The Zoo. Laneous simply owns this tune with a superbly understated delivery that sounds like the vocal equivalent of being on a hammock sipping cocktails from a coconut.

Special mention on this tape must go to the extremely talented and promising musician known as James Blake. He burst onto the bass scene late in 2009 with powerful synth lead productions that seemingly reached through to your insides forcing involuntary, semi-rhythmical body convulsions that should really be performed in the privacy of your own home. But this was just the tip of the iceberg as Blake has started to flex his considerable talents with a Tom Jenkinson styled remix of Destiny's Child done under the Hamonimix pseudonym and, more impressively, a showcase of his vocal pedigree on a touching rendition of Feist's "Limit of Your Love". Keep you eyes peeled for this guy in 2010...

Devlin is also set to make his mark this year showcasing some Mike Skinner-inspired reflections on "London City" while Jose James is back with his second album featuring the smooth stylings of "Save Your Love For Me". Gil Scott Herron returns form incarceration with a modernized sound that takes nothing away from his vivid, poetic style and the El Michels Affair are on hand to help get your Wu's in the air.

Enjoy...